Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) on the field before the game against the Atlanta Falcons at FedEx Field. / Brad Mills, USA TODAY Sports

by Robert Klemko, USA TODAY Sports

by Robert Klemko, USA TODAY Sports

Week 14 was a clean sweep for the NFC East, with the Giants routing the Saints, the Redskins and Cowboys rallying for victories, and the Eagles showing that they're not ready to quit on the season yet. Here are the conference grades:

NFC East

New York Giants (8-5): A-

Save for a couple of Eli Manning interceptions, the Giants posted a dominant performance against a Saints team that had routed them in two previous meetings. David Wilson's breakout performance of 327 all-purpose yards (without losing a fumble) is a huge positive. The 52-point outburst keeps Washington and Dallas a game back in the division for one more week.

Washington Redskins (7-6): B+

A statement win for the franchise came with a catch â?? Robert Griffin III had his knee flexed the wrong way during a desperation scramble in the fourth quarter. Before that, all good news: The defense pressured Joe Flacco into mistakes, and the offensive line continues to open up lanes for rookie running back Alfred Morris. Griffin's status? Uncertain.

Dallas Cowboys (7-6): B

Squeezed out a victory on an emotional Sunday by pulling it together at the end, but they came with a price: Owner Jerry Jones getting into a nose-to-nose-tackle argument with Jay Ratliff and Dez Bryant's finger injury, which could end his season. One positive takeaway: Bengals breakout star wide receiver A.J. Green didn't catch a pass.

Philadelphia Eagles (4-9) C+

Nick Foles showed indecision (sacked six times) but ultimately progress â?? 381 passing yards, two touchdowns â?? in a win vs. the slumping Buccaneers. Despite leading for the entire first half, Philly managed to run the ball just 16 times for 29 yards. Bryce Brown was suddenly stoppable after rushing for 347 yards in two previous games.

NFC North

Green Bay Packers (9-4): B-

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers found paydirt with his feet, but more importantly, the Packers got the running backs going for the second week in a row, putting together a go-ahead touchdown drive with the ground game. Lions offensive gaffes factored big in this comeback victory, and the Packers had no answer for Calvin Johnson.

Chicago Bears (8-5): D+

Adrian Peterson had 104 yards rushing in the first quarter against this defense, but things shored up later. The Bears failed to pressure rookie quarterback Christian Ponder. Jay Cutler threw two interceptions, with one returned for a touchdown, but the worst of his problems is a stiff neck, which forced him out of the game. He says he'll play this week, though.

Minnesota Vikings (7-6): B-

The defense gave up 438 yards in victory and survived another Christian Ponder quarterbacking performance to stay alive in the playoff hunt. Running back Adrian Peterson continues to defy logic in his return from ACL surgery, but he can't be able to carry this team deep into January â?¦ at least, we don't think so.

Detroit Lions (4-9): C-

One more choke away from making history, the Lions are now tied with six other teams who have blown leads of 10-plus points in three games in a row. Calvin Johnson's monster season of more than 1,500 yards receiving in 13 games is the only bright spot on an offense that continues to struggle with turnovers.

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons (11-2): C

Who are these guys? It's one thing to have Cam Newton running all over the field â?? he's bound to have a few of those games â?? but it's another to see the Falcons offense completely shut down in the first half by a Panthers defense missing several key starters.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-7): C-

Third loss in a row is highlighted by Josh Freeman's inability to connect with receivers against a Philadelphia team known for giving up big passing performances. The Bucs managed to put the clamps on Philadelphia's running game, and they roughed up rookie quarterback Nick Foles, but couldn't stop him from overcoming an 11-point deficit. Playoff hopes are fading fast.

New Orleans Saints (5-8): F

The party's over in New Orleans, not that this season was any fun. Drew Brees threw a pair of picks and uncharacteristically failed to turn red-zone opportunities into touchdowns, and the defense and coverage teams laid down for Giants rookie David Wilson.

Carolina Panthers (4-9): B+

Things got personal for Cam Newton and the Panthers against the rival Falcons, and despite having more than a dozen players on injured reserve, the offense racked up 475 yards. Newton had his best game of the season, with 287 yards passing and a 72-yard run. Matt Ryan passed for 342 yards, but the Panthers held him and the 11-win Falcons in check early on.

NFC West

San Francisco 49ers (9-2-1): B-

Although he's no longer chucking the ball downfield with great success, Colin Kaepernick is still providing a big-play spark to the offense. With a 50-yard scoring run, Kaepernick did enough to support a stifling defense. A third-down conversion rate of 20% is cause for concern. Team has suspended little-used RB Brandon Jacobs, who wants out.

Seattle Seahawks (8-5): A-

We'll cough up a high grade here, but how much can you really learn about your football team when you win by 58 points? Eight turnovers is mighty impressive, but we'll reserve true judgment on the Seahawks for when they face San Francisco in two weeks.

St. Louis Rams (6-6-1): B

Won their third game in a row for the first time since 2006. Protected Sam Bradford vs. Buffalo, allowing only one sack, and committed just one turnover. Put the brakes on the Buffalo offense in the clutch, limiting the home team to a pair of field goals on three drives deep in Rams territory.

Arizona Cardinals (4-9): F

It doesn't get much worse than losing 58-0. We could remind you that the Cardinals gained only 154 yards on offense vs. Seattle, that John Skelton threw four interceptions, or that Arizona averaged 2.7 yards per rush. But that would just be piling on. They lost 58-0.